In The Life of Skye Black

Chapter Twelve

Author's Note: I'm rewriting this, but it's going to be such a heavy rewrite, that I'm going to try to finish up this version first. This takes place right after Christmas holidays start.

xXxXx

"I think Regina thinks that you hate her."

Martin rolled his eyes. "Well, I do, don't I? And thanks, by the way, for abandoning me at that party."

"I thought you were just going to get Scarlett in?" I questioned.

"Didn't turn out that way. I mean, it's not like Cormac caught either of us, and I could've gotten rid of him easily, all he talks about is Quidditch, and his favourite team is almost as rubbish as the Cannons…" he took in a deep breath. "I don't think I can do that stupid play."

"Ah," I said, all of it starting to make sense. "With Scarlett, you mean? Her snogging several other blokes, or you just having to snog her onstage, and her considering you a friend? Which isn't really a bad thing," I add.

"Yeah, well, when you've got my streak of bad luck, it is. It's like I'm bloody cursed! Let's see… how many people have died that I cared about? And my father was a bloody Death Eater, and Regina Montague is my bloody half-sister, my favourite show got pulled, my favourite team isn't doing well at all this season… oh! And let's not forget that my father fucking knew Johnny Rotten, and I was certain he looked at me at that show!"

"…What favourite show?"

"Doctor Who, if you must know."

"Why'd it get pulled?"

"Haven't the foggiest," Martin said. "It was brilliant. I think Ace was my favourite companion. Seven was my favourite Doctor… even if Six was the first one that I watched, and even though Eight is brilliant, he's only had that film, and the series still hasn't been put back up!"

"Is Ace a bloke or a girl?"

"Girl. She's nothing like the rest of the female companions, though. That's what makes her so brilliant. She's got this awful temper, and her trademark is Nitro Nine."

Martin must have noticed my blank stare.

"It's an explosive."

"Oh, right." My plan was working, at any rate. Even if I had no idea what the bloody hell he was ranting on about, at least he wasn't acting depressed.

"Though, Four has my favourite trademark. That scarf was just fantastic!"

"Trademark?"

"Yeah, all of them have one. Four's was the scarf, Five's was the celery…"

"Celery?" I asked. "Like the vegetable?"

"It was a vegetable! On his jacket! Oh, it was brilliant, really. Six's was the cats… don't ask," he added. "Seven's was the umbrella and the hat. The umbrella had a question mark on the end, and the hat stayed until he regenerated in the film. That was depressing, though it always is when your favourite regenerates. And Eight's was… well, actually, I'm not too sure about him. He was only in the film, so I don't know too much about him. He irks me a bit. Hope he regenerates soon enough."

"Er… I thought you said the series was cancelled?"

"Oh, it was. But there are books. I've got all of them so far, they're absolutely brilliant."

"Even the ones featuring Eight?"

"Even those," he confirmed. "It was more film Eight that irked me. Maybe because he replaced Seven, who, I repeat, is my favourite, and the best Doctor."

I was understanding next to none of this, and I think he could tell.

"You don't really care, do you?" he asked.

"Actually…"

He gave me a look.

"Er, not really. But it does seem like an all right series."

He rolled his eyes.

"Look on the bright side!"

"And that is?"

I hesitated. Really, there wasn't one, was there? "It's almost Christmas?"

Martin laughed, obviously amused. "Yeah, there is that. But then there's the party."

I groaned. "You had to remind me? Seriously?"

He laughed again. Then there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," I said, getting up from the couch.

It was Regina.

"You know Johnny Calvert, right, don't you?"

"Yes…" I said uncertainly.

"Well, then you'll know that knowing even who he is, is to hate him."

"Yeah…"

"And you'd freak out if your mum arranged a marriage between you and him, wouldn't you?"

"…You're serious?"

"Yeah. I couldn't take it, I ran away… well, 'ran' would be irrelevant. I flew, couldn't risk the Knight Bus, could I?"

"You want to talk to my parents?" I asked, still a bit shocked.

"Could I?"

"Yeah, sure, come in. I'll get my mum. Dad's at an… er.. a meeting."

Regina stood awkwardly in the doorway while I ran upstairs to get Mum.

"Mum?" I asked slowly.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

"No," I said quickly. "Well, nothing's wrong, but Regina, er… sort of ran away from home?"

"Give me a moment and I'll be down. Let her in, if you haven't already. It, ah, might be advisory for both you and Martin to leave the room while we chat. Some things about her mother, you understand? Maybe the two of you could go into the village?"

"As long as you don't kill her."

Mum laughed as I went downstairs to find Martin glaring at Regina.

"Oi, Marty, time to go into the village."

"What, are you meeting Fred and George?"

"Good idea, we'll get them, too. Let's go, grab your coat."

He rolled his eyes and went to get his coat.

I turned to Regina. "Mum said she'll be down in a bit, but for me and Martin to go into town, something about talking about your mum. I dunno."

Regina smiled weakly.

"You can sit down, you know," I said.

"Right, of course. Sorry, my mind isn't in the right place right now."

She sat down on the couch and I went to get my coat.

-x-

"So why the bleeding hell should your mum take her in? Won't your dad be pissed off?"

"Oh, if anything, Dad would be the one supporting this whole thing." I rolled my eyes. "And I repeat: It's not that bad. Now, shush while I ask Mrs. Weasley very nicely if Freddie and Georgie can come out to play."

Martin snorted, but I ignored him and knocked on the door to the Burrow.

"Skye, darling, how have you been? We simply must chat!" Fred insisted, putting on a posh accent.

I laughed. "Martin and I are going into the village. I was wondering if you and George wanted to go…?"

Fred sobered. "I want to go, but George… he and Katie have been having a rough time lately…"

"What d'you mean by that?"

Fred laughed. "Well, you see…"

"I can't believe her!"

"On second thought, I'll explain it while we're on our way. Let's go. 'Ello Vance, how have you been? What are you two waiting for? Let's go!"

He took off running and fell face-first into the mud.

"Smooth," I laughed.

Fred, however got right back up and used a charm to get the mud off of his face. "Come on, we haven't got all day!"

"We have," Martin said, not impressed at all by Fred's behaviour.

Fred, likewise, was unimpressed by Martin's cynicism. "You don't have a brother that's going mad because he and his girlfriend are in a fight, do you? No, I didn't think so."

"So… what happened between George and Katie?"

"Oh, Katie got really jealous because he was doing some Muggle-type card tricks for a shop girl and she might've broken up with him…"

I rolled my eyes. It was typical of Katie to get so jealous while at the same time flirting with other blokes, but breaking up with the so-called love of her life?

"Look, let's not get into talk about relationships, it's bloody depressing."

"You've got that right, Vance. Though I'm sure Skye would disagree, seeing as she's dating the bloody 'good' Slytherin."

"Oi, Fred, will you knock off your little depressed façade?" I snapped. "I'm certainly not in the mood for it at the moment. Now, can we just go into the village?"

"Whatever you say," Fred muttered.

-x-

Author's Note: I've finally updated this in what seems like forever. It was actually… almost five months. Sorry if I've kept you waiting, I've had awful writer's block on this one and have been getting some of the things confused as I'm working on the alternate/revised version right now as well. Well, enough with my excuses, I've got the chapter up, which must be worth something. And it's 1400 words, which must be worth something as well.